Combination drawer and writing shelf



May 2, 1967 E. c. LEVIT ETAL V v 3,317,260

COMBINATION DRAWER AND WRITING SHELF Filed Aug. 4, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 ,QZuiW.

ATTORNEYS y 2, 1967 E. c. LEVIT ETAL COMBINATION DRAWER AND WRITING SHELF 2-Sheetsi-$heet 2 Filed Aug. 4,- 1965 594/480 C PQ V /E 4557 BY wa e z.

ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,317,260 COR iBINATION DRAWER AND WRITING SHELF Edward C. Levit, Lester F. Schroeder, and Edgar L. Rein, aii of Grand Rapids, Mich, assignors to Steelcase, Inc., Grand Rapids, Mich., a corporation of Michigan Filed Aug. 4, 1965, Ser. No. 477,142 5 Claims. (Cl. 312231) This invention relates to a combination drawer and Writing shelf, and more particularly to a drawer for desks and the like having a substantially full-length writing shelf mounted in association therewith for sliding movements lengthwise relative thereto to afford desired access into the interior of the drawer.

Desks and similar furniture have in the past included drawers and separate writing shelves, which are retractable into the desk in the same manner as an ordinary drawer. Occasionally, a desk would have a combined drawer and writing shelf, but these were largely very rudimentary constructions whose writing shelves were basically nothing more than a fiat shelf structure which rested directly upon the top of the drawer. Since it was of course necessary to have access into the drawer from time to time, such writing shelves were ordinarily somewhat less than half the length of the drawer, so that when the drawer was open and it was desired to gain access into either the front or the rear thereof, the writing shelf could he slid upon the drawer toward its opposite extremity, thereby exposing the desired portion of the drawer. This was undeniably an improvement over the completely separate drawer and writing shelf, but it was also clearly a cumbersome and bothersome structure to use. In the first place, the writing area made available by such a shelf was severely limited and would accommodate only a single sheet of paper, and then only if the edges of the paper were aligned directly with the edges of the writing shelf. This very frequently was not a position that was convenient for the writer, since most persons orient a sheet of paper at an angle to them when writing upon it. In the second place, the fact that only one-half of the drawer could be exposed for access at any one time was a distinct disadvantage, since in use one seemed always to be sliding the shelf to one end of the drawer,

I only to have to, slide it to the opposite end a few minutes later.

Accordingly, the present invention has as one of its major objects the provision of a truly integrated and combined drawer and writing shelf, in which the writing shelf portion of the combination covers substantially the entire area of the drawer enclosure, to afford ample writing space which will accommodate oversize single sheets of paper or multiple normal letter-size sheets.

Another important object of the present invention is to provide a combination drawer and writing shelf of the character noted, Whose large writing shelf is readily movable relative to the drawer to expose the entire interior of the drawer at any desired time.

It is another object of this invention to provide a combination drawer and writing shelf having the above characteristics, which further includes a substantially transparent writing surface pivotally secured to the writing shelf for movement away from the same to provide access therebetween, so that reference materials and the like may be placed under the transparent writing surface and copied onto a paper resting directly on the surface.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a combination drawer and writing shelf of the nature which has been described, Whose writing shelf portion is slidably mounted relative to the drawer portion by means which permit easy relative sliding of the members but which prohibits vertical removal or dislodgement of the shelf from the drawer.

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A still further object of the present invention is to provide a combination drawer and writing shelf having the foregoing features and attributes, which further in cludes stop means for limiting the relative sliding movement bet-ween the shelf and drawer to predetermined maximum desired amounts.

The foregoing objects and advantages of the present invention, together with additional desirable features and attributes thereof, will become increasingly apparent to those skilled in the art to which the invention pertains upon further consideration of the ensuing specification and its appended claims, particularly when taken in conjunction with the accompanying illustrative drawings setting forth a preferred embodiment of the invention.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary frontal perspective view of the novel combination drawer and writing shelf, as withdrawn from a typical desk or the like;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged, exploded, frontal perspective view of the drawer and writing shelf combination of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a frontal perspective view of the inverted writing shelf portion of the invention, showing specific details thereof;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged, central, longitudinal sectional view of the combination drawer and writing shelf taken through the plane IV-IV of FIG. 5, with the writing shelf portion completely within a desk but with the drawer portion partially withdrawn therefrom, illustrating the assembly and operation of the combination; and

FIG. 5 is an enlarged generally central transverse sectional view of the combination drawer and writing shelf taken through the plane VV of FIG. 4, further illustrating the assembly thereof.

Briefly stated, the present combination drawer and writing shelf is comprised of a drawer assembly of the typical type having a bottom and upstanding side portions defining an enclosure, and a writing shelf having a flat, smooth, and uninterrupted writing surface element thereupon. The Writing shelf has guide rail means secured therebeneath in a lengthwise direction thereof, and the drawer assembly has support means secured thereto, the arrangement being such that with the writing shelf in alignment over the drawer enclosure, the guide rail means and support means are aligned and interengaged to slidably support the writing shelf lengthwise relative to the drawer, while nonetheless prohibitin any vertical dislodgement or removal of the shelf means away from the drawer. The writing shelf is preferably as long, or almost as long, as the drawer itself, and consequently it affords copious area upon which to write. Further, the writing shelf may he slid lengthwise relative to the drawer in a manner which exposes substantially the entire drawer interior for access thereinto. Special provision for the use of reference materials is provided, by means of a substantially transparent sheet of material which is pivotally secured or hinged to the writing shelf, such that reference materials may be placed between the shelf and the sheet material, with the sheet then providing a writing surface through which the reference materials may be copied.

Referring now in more detail to the drawings, the novel combination drawer and writing shelf 10 is seen in FIG. 1 in a position where the drawer is fully withdrawn from a typical desk 12 or like article of furniture. From this figure it will be seen that the writing shelf portion 14 preferably covers substantially all of the -open-topped drawer assembly 16, except that a narrow opening 18 at the extreme frontward end thereof is preferably provided for convenience in using the equipment. It will be noted that a substantially transparent sheet of material 20 is positioned atop the shelf portion 14, through which exemplary reference materials may be inspected, as illustrated. The transparent sheet 20 provides a writing surface, and it is preferably hinged or otherwise pivotally connected to the shelf portion 14 so that it may be moved upwardly therefrom to the position shown in phantom, to afford access to the top of the shelf portion, as for changing the reference materials placed thereupon.

The preferred structure for constructing the novel combined drawer and writing shelf is illustrated in more detail in the exploded view of FIG. 2. In this figure the drawer assembly 16 will be seen to be of generally conventional construction, having a bottom 22 and upstanding side wall portions such as 24 and 26, which provide a suitable open-topped enclosure therebetween. A generally channel-shaped support 28 is secured at each of its ends to each of the sides 24 and 26 of the drawer, as by suitable screws 30 or the like, preferably approximately two-thirds of the distance from the front to the rear of the drawer along the sides. The support 28 carriers a pair of generally Z-shaped brackets 32 and 34 which are secured thereto in the position shown, one leg of each such bracket being fastened to the support, and the other leg of each forming a lateral projection which is spaced from but generally parallel to the top of support 28. The mounting of support 28 upon the sides 24 and 26 of the drawer should preferably be such that the plane of the laterally-projecting legs of brackets 32 and 34 is slightly above the top of the drawer sides 24 and 26 (see FIGS. 4 and 5). As FIG. 2 further illustrates, a pair of lubricious plastic glides 32' and 34' are preferably telescoped over the laterally-projecting legs of brackets 32 and 34, respectively, for purposes to be disclosed subsequently.

The writing shelf portion 14 of FIG. 2 comprises basically a flat, continuous shelf 35 having vertically depending sides 36 and 38 and a similar front portion 37. Guide rail means 49 are secured to the underside of the shelf 35, preferably so as to protrude beyond its rearward extremity a brief distance, as shown. The guide rail means 40 includes a pair of side rail members 42 and 44 positioned longitudinally relative to the shelf 35, and a cross member 46 interconnecting the two side rails 42 and 44, all of which will subsequently be seen in further detail. The guide rail means 40 also preferably includes a stop means bracket 48 secured to the cross member 46, and a bumper 50 such as a felt block or the like, which is afiixed to the stop means bracket 48.

The transparent sheet which provides the preferred writing surface for the combined drawer and writing shelf of the invention is preferably a sheet of Plexiglas or the like which is mounted atop the shelf 35 in generally central alignment therewith, as shown. The writing surface 20 is preferably so mounted by a pair of L-shaped bracket members 52 and 54 secured to one of its edges such that one leg of the L points downwardly. (See FIG. 5.) These legs are arranged to pass through slots 56 and 58 (FIG. 2) formed through the shelf 35, and when these members are so engaged the writing surface is hinged or pivotally attached to the shelf 35 so that it may be raised away from the same to expose the upward surface thereof. Further, the preferred pivotal mounting structure described will be observed to readily permit the removal of the transparent sheet 20 from the shelf 35, in the event this is desired.

Details of the guide rail means 40 on the underside of the shelf 35 are illustrated in FIGS. 3, 4, and 5. It will here be seen that the rail members 42 and 44 are preferably generally Z-shaped in cross section, and extend from the front edge of the shelf beyond the rearward extremity thereof a brief distance. The rail members 42 and 44 are preferably secured to the underside of the shelf 35 by one of their two generally parallel leg extremities, such that the other such leg extremity in effect provides a ledge which is spaced from the plane of the shelf and oriented toward the center of the shelf (see FIG. 5). In this manner, the rail members 42 and 44 provide a pair of opposing recesses 62 and 64, respectively, between the under-surface of the shelf 35 and the ledge or leg of the Z-shaped rails and which are spaced therefrom. Also, it will be observed that a portion of each of the guide rails 42 and 44 located beyond the rear extremity of the shelf 35 is formed so as to provide an extension flange 66 or 68, respectively, which depends downwardly from the guide rails when the shelf 35 is in the position shown in FIGS. 2, 4 and 5. This orientation is also true of the bracket 48 and felt bumper 50, which are clearly seen in FIGS. 2, 3 and 4. Finally, a pair of angularly configured glides 70 and 72 preferably are secured to the forward side edges of the shelf 35, within the angle formed by depending sides 36 and 38 thereof (see FIGS. 3 and 4). These are preferably made of a lubricious plastic substance, and may very conveniently be formed from Teflon ribbon.

In assembling the combination drawer and writing shelf 10 of the invention, the support 28 (FIGS. 2, 4 and 5) is secured to the sides 24 and 26 of the drawer assembly 16, in the manner noted previously. The shelf portion 14 is then placed into position by interengaging the outwardlyextending leg portions of each of the Z-shaped brackets 32 and 34 of support 28 within the recesses 62 and 64 (see FIG. 5) provided by the two rail members 42 and 44, such that the glides 32 and 34 of brackets 32 and 34 are slidable therewithin. In this position, the glides 70 and '72 at the front of the shelf 35 rest upon the inside upper edge of the drawer sides 24 and 26.

When so assembled, it will be clearly apparent that the shelf portion 14 may easily he slid lengthwise relative to the drawer assembly 16. The drawer apparatus is of course movable by conventional mounting rails such as are indicated at 78 (FIG. 2) relative to the desk or other cabinet in which it is to be mounted, and the drawer may be withdrawn from the desk to bring the Writing shelf into general position for use. The writing shelf may then e slid relative to the drawer into a specific desired position for usage. As has been stated, the shelf 35 and transparent writing surface 20 are preferably substantially coextensive with the drawer enclosure, and afford ample writing space. However, it is preferred that a brief opening (indicated at 18 in FIG. 1) be provided between the forward edge of the shelf and the drawer, and this is assured by the downwardly depending flanges 66 and 63 of the rail members 42 and 44, which limit the forward movement of the shelf relative to the drawer by coming into contact with the rear of the drawer (note FIG. 4). For ultimate smoothness and quietness in this operation, a pair of bumpers 74 and 76 (FIGS. 2 and 4) made of a soft resilient material such as felt or the like may be affixed to the rear of the drawer such that the flanges 66 and 68 of the rail means contact these rather than the rear of the drawer itself.

As will often be the case, a person using the novel combined drawer and writing shelf will require access into the interior of the drawer enclosure, as for example to obtain further writing supplies or additional reference materials for insertion under the transparent writing surface 20. Such access is readily provided by merely slidmg the entire shelf portion 14 rearwardly reiative to the drawer assembly, in which event the shelf portion 14 is moved backward, into the interior of the desk or cabinet, in the position shown in FIG. 4. If the drawer is fully withdrawn, this movement may continue until the depending front 37 of the shelf 35 comes into contact with the brackets 32 and 34 secured to support 28. Consequently, the positioning of bracket 28 within the drawer assembly effectively deter-mines the maximum rearward movement of the shelf portion 14, and this positioning may be varied to provide whatever degree of exposure into the drawer is desired. This will typically be well over half of the drawer, and may be substantially all of 1ts interior.

A further aspect of the operation of the novel combined drawer and writing shelf is that the drawer may be closed with the shelf in its rearward position, in which the interior of the drawer is exposed, without the need for manually sliding the shelf back to its previous position. This is illustrated by FIG. 4. Further, as the drawer assembly is closed under these conditions, the bumper 50 at the rear of the rail members 42 and 44 soon comes into contact with the inside of the drawer cavity in the desk or other cabinet in which the drawer is mounted. When this occurs, the shelf portion 14 is held stationary relative to the desk, and as the drawer continues to be closed, it is slid beneath the shelf portion until the latter once again covers substantially all of the drawer enclosure, and occupies its original or normal position. Thus, it will be seen that if upon finishing his work, one slides the reference shelf backward into the desk, as for place writing or reference materials into the interior of the drawer, he may then simply close the drawer and be finished, and the next time he opens that drawer the writing or reference shelf will automatically occupy the normal working position in which it covers substantially the entire drawer.

Having now fully set forth the structure, assembly, and operation of the novel combined drawer and writing shelf disclosed herein, its many advantages will clearly be apparent. Foremost among these are the greatly increased writing area which is made available, the corresponding large area beneath the movable transparent writing surface for multiple reference papers, the substantially complete exposure of the interior of the drawer afforded by the easy movement of the writing shelf portion, and the complete convenience afforded by the automatic positioning of the reference shelf over the drawer assembly merely by closing the drawer.

While a preferred embodiment only of the novel device has been illustrated and described herein, it will be clear to those skilled in the pertinent art that the inventive concepts underlying this embodiment are capable of being incorporated in other embodiments, and that the specific structure shown herein may be variously modified in different specific ways. Accordingly, such further embodiments and modifications as incorporate the spirit of the invention and its underlying concepts are to be considered as Within the scope of the claims appended hereinafter, unless these claims by their language specifically state otherwise. i

We claim:

1. A combination drawer and writing shelf, comprising in combination: a drawer assembly having a bottom and upstanding side portions defining an enclosure; a writing shelf means having a flat, continuous and generally smooth writing surface; guide rail means secured beneath said writing shelf means lengthwise thereof; and support means secured to said drawer assembly in alignment with said guide rail means; said guide rail and support means defining interengaged recess and projection structure for supporting said writing shelf means slidably lengthwise relative to said drawer assembly for access thereinto, while prohibiting vertical dislodgement of said shelf means.

2. The drawer and writing shelf combination of claim 1, further including stop means associated with said guide rail means for limiting the said lengthwise slidable movement of the writing shelf relative to the said drawer apparatus at a preselected relative position.

3. A combination drawer and writing shelf, comprising in combination: a drawer assembly having a bottom and upstanding side portions defining an enclosure; a writing shelf means having a flat, continuous and generally smooth writing surface; guide rail means secured beneath said writing shelf means lengthwise thereof; support means example to resecured to said drawer assembly in alignment with said guide rail means; said guide rail and support means defining interengaged recess and projection structure for supporting said writing shelf means slidably lengthwise relative to said drawer assembly for access thereinto, while prohibiting vertical dislodgement of said shelf means; said guide rail means extending rearwardly of said writing shelf means; and providing a bumper for contacting the inside rear portions of a drawer cavity in which said drawer assembly is operatively inserted, whereby when said drawer assembly is withdrawn from said cavity said writing shelf means may be slid into said cavity to expose the interior of the drawer assembly, said drawer assembly may then be pushed back into said cavity, and said bumper will contact the rear of said cavity to hold said writing shelf means in place while said drawer assembly is slid therebeneath, such that when the drawer assembly is again withdrawn from said cavity said writing shelf means will automatically have been positioned in its normal place relative to the drawer assembly.

4. A combination drawer and writing shelf, comprising in combination: a drawer assembly having a bottom and upstanding side portions defining an enclosure; a writing shelf means generally coextensive in size with said drawer assembly enclosure and having a fiat, continuous and generally smooth writing surface; a pair of guide rails secured to the bottom of said writing shelf means in a generally parallel manner and extending lengthwise of said writing shelf; each of said guide rails having a laterally-extending ledge portion defining a recess between itself and the undersurface of said writing shelf; a support member secured transversely across said drawer assembly; said support member having a pair of upraised, projecting elements, each of which is engageable within one of said guide rail ledge recesses to support said writing shelf means in a lengthwise slidable manner relative to said drawer assembly while prohibiting vertical dislodgement of said shelf means; said guide rails extending rearwardly beyond said writing shelf means and providing a bumper for contacting the inside rear portions of a drawer cavity in which said drawer assembly is operatively inserted, whereby when said drawer assembly is withdrawn from said cavity said writing shelf means may be slid into said cavity to expose the interior of the drawer assembly, said drawer assembly may then be pushed back into said cavity, and said bumper will contact the rear of said cavity to hold said writing shelf means in place while said drawer assembly is slid therebeneath, such that when the drawer assembly is again withdrawn from said cavity said writing shelf means will automatically have been positioned in its normal place covering the interior of the drawer assembly.

5. The drawer and writing shelf combination of claim 4, further including stop means associated with said guide rails for limiting the forward lengthwise slidable movement of the writing shelf relative to the said drawer apparatus at a preselected relative position, by coming into contact with a fixed surface associated with said drawer assembly.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 880,023 2/1908 Harding 312-301 1,180,750 4/1916 Wolf 312-231 2,947,589 8/1960 Darbo 312-301 CLAUDE A. LE ROY, Primary Examiner. CHANCELLOR E. HARRIS, Examiner. F. DOMOTOR, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A COMBINATION DRAWER AND WRITING SHELF, COMPRISING IN COMBINATION: A DRAWER ASSEMBLY HAVING A BOTTOM AND UPSTANDING SIDE PORTIONS DEFINING AN ENCLOSURE; A WRITING SHELF MEANS HAVING A FLAT, CONTINUOUS AND GENERALLY SMOOTH WRITING SURFACE; GUIDE RAIL MEANS SECURED BENEATH SAID WRITING SHELF MEANS LENGTHWISE THEREOF; AND SUPPORT MEANS SECURED TO SAID DRAWER ASSEMBLY IN ALIGNMENT WITH SAID GUIDE RAIL MEANS; SAID GUIDE RAIL AND SUPPORT MEANS DEFINING INTERENGAGED RECESS AND PROJECTION STRUCTURE FOR SUPPORTING SAID WRITING SHELF MEANS SLIDABLY LENGTHWISE RELATIVE TO SAID DRAWER ASSEMBLY FOR ACCESS THEREINTO, WHILE PROHIBITING VERTICAL DISLODEMENT OF SAID SHELF MEANS. 